Florida Tech applied mathematics Ph.D. student, Audison Beaubrun, was recently selected to attend the BYND 2015 Global Youth Summit, which was hosted by International Telecommunications Union, an agency of the United Nations. Through a series of workshops, presentations and conversations, Audison was tasked with helping formulate ideas and recommendations on bringing about social change through information communication technologies into a single global statement.

Audison is third from the left

How did you get involved with the BYND 2015 Global Youth Summit?

My involvement with the summit was made possible through the sponsorship of Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) in The Bahamas. I had to go through an application process and was one of the selected youths from my country chosen to attend.

In your opinion, how do you think information communication technologies (ICT) can bring about social change?

Through ICTs, we no longer have to be physically present to get things done. It doesn’t matter in which corner of the globe we are located— we can impact someone in a different country and assist in a movement as well. I was able to use Skype to go through an interview process. This was a requirement for eligibility to be sponsored to attend the Youth Summit, which itself shows how things are changing from the traditional methods.

I chose Florida Tech because of its diversity of students, the fact that it’s a highly credited university and it’s close to home. I was encouraged by my mentors to continue my education upon completion of my undergraduate studies and decided do so. I haven’t decided on a topic for my research yet so the experience at the summit may in fact assist me as I start to narrow my options.

What advice would you offer students pursuing their Ph.D.s?

Many of the people that I spoke to before I decided to enroll in the applied mathematics Ph.D. program at Florida Tech told me that it’s not easy to obtain a Ph.D., especially in mathematics, which I am now starting to understand. However, I’ve learned that if it’s something you are passionate about, you will get through those hard times and stressful days. The key thing for me is having God at the center of everything I do and having a lot of support from people that want to see me succeed. I find lots of comfort from them to get through those storms.